Chapter 8

Shadow's Story

When Maria died fifty years ago, I made a promise to her that I would help make the world a better place. So, I decided to burry the hatchet and become one of GUN's finest agents, when one morning, just two months before the war began, I got a call to report to the director's office immediately. I arrived at his very roomy, no windowed black office about 5 minutes later. I would be surprised to find that Director Prowler, a black fox who wore a white button-down shirt and black pant's and shoes was not alone. Along with him was the president of the United Continents of Mobius himself. President Morgan Freeman. He was a brown owl with some white feathers around his face and wore a beige suit, white button-down, and a black tie.

"Come in Agent Shadow." Director Prowler signaled in a low but powerful voice. I reluctantly stepped in the office.

"So good to meet you Shadow the Hedgehog." The president said in a British accent and approached me to shake my hand.

"Mr. President?" I spoke, confused. "What brings you here?"

"The same thing that brought you here." Prowler said. "Have a seat." We both sat down on opposite sides of the desk which had only his computer, his name tag, and a Luxo lamp which provided the only light in the room, while President Freeman remained standing. "This room is secure so we may speak freely."

"Please excuse my impatience Director, but what is this about?" I asked.

"Well Agent Shadow, I trust you are aware of suspicious activity going on in Luminous Forest regarding Doctor Ivo Robotnik?"

"Eggman." I spoke.

"Yes, well anyway. Last night at 23 hundred hours we sent a scout over to the forest to take record any suspicious activity he found and report back to us." He then opened a drawer and pulled out a yellow folder and handed it to me. "This was what he found." I opened the folder and saw a large picture of a group of robots and some Mobians which I couldn't quite make out, gathered near an iron hatchway door built into the cliffside.

"A secret base?" I asked.

"Possibly, but what got our attention, was when we zoomed in and ID'd the Mobians in this picture, if you would move this one aside." I did that, and my eyes widened when I saw a picture of two jackals. One was female and had a rifle in her hands, the other was male and had a had what seemed to be a sword on his back. Both of which were black and white.

"Jackal Squadron!" I gasped.

"Correct, and I have reason to believe that they aren't there for no reason." Prowler replied.

"You think Eggman hired them?"

"I do. Which means he has something in that base which he doesn't want use to know about."

"So, you want me to break in and find out what he's hiding?"

"Not quite." President Freeman spoke. I then turned towards him. "Dr. Eggman has had a history of attempting world domination for decades, and I have reason to believe that if he has hired some of the most uncatchable, and dangerous squad known to us. I fear that Mobius maybe in grave danger."

"So, in order to prepare for whatever Dr Robot—I mean Dr Eggman has planned for us, we must prepare ourselves for war." The Director spoke solemnly.

"So how will we do that." I asked

"I'm ordering that GUN be disbanded temporarily and divert its resources to a new military." Freeman replied.

"But what does this have to do with me?"

"Before GUN is disbanded, I am ordering an assault on Eggman's base to see if we can stop a war before it can start, but your mission is more important." Prowler spoke

"And that is?"

"Jackal Squadron have proved that they are impossible to capture, which make them to dangerous to be left at large, especially if Mobius goes to war, so your mission is to hunt them down and eliminate them."

"Very well, but what about the rest of GUN?"

"They will keep the rest of Eggman's forces busy. Whether they succeed or fail in breaking into the base doesn't matter. Your mission must succeed at all cost."

"I understand." I then got up to leave.

"We strike tonight after sundown, but Shadow know this." I stopped. "All members of Jackal Squadron must be killed on sight, not one member is to be left alive."

"Yes sir." I spoke.

That night, almost every member of GUN we had charged the base at Luminous Forest. While they attacked the robots, I skated through the woods at max speed hunting for the members of Jackal Squadron. When suddenly three out of the seven members of Jackal Squadron jumped down from the tree's and landed in front of me. All of which were male and had rifles in there hands.

"Well, well, well amigos." One spoke in a Spanish accent. "Looks like we found the legendary Shadow the Hedgehog."

"Any last words before we fill you with bullets pal." Another jackal said.

"Chaos CONTROL!" I shouted, and time slowed down greatly to the point where I could see the bullets fly out of there guns, I then casually walked around them, exited Chaos Control and shot all three of them with my trusty pistol, they all fell to the ground before they even knew what hit them. I then heard a female voice come from the trees.

"HEY! NO ONE KILLS OUR BROTHERS AND GET'S AWAY WITH IT."

Three more jackals jumped down from the trees. One of which was female. The same female I saw in the picture.

"I'm just doing my job lady." I shrugged.

"WELL, NOW WE'LL DO OUR JOB." She screamed. They all then charged at me.

"CHAOS SPEAR!" I shouted and three yellow arrows flew from my hands and sent the three flying away from me. I then shot two of the members and approached the female who was crawling backwards away from me.

"Zero come in!" She shouted into her walkie talkie. "Shadow's killing us off, it's up to you now."

"Nothing personal kid." She then looked at me with fear as I shot her with out a moments hesitation.

"Abigail! Come in! DO YOU READ ME!" A voice spoke from the walkie talkie. I then picked it up and spoke into it.

"I'm afraid you're the last one pal. Why don't you meet me at the entrance to the base and see if you stand a better chance than these losers."

"I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S THE LOSER, SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG!"

I then dropped the walkie talkie and made my way towards the entrance to Eggman's secret base. I could here the faint sounds of the battle between GUN and Eggman's forces when a loud voice broke the silence.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" I looked up and saw the male jackal I saw in the photo standing on a pillar. "YOU DARE MURDER MY SQUAD AND CALL THEM LOSERS!" He then jumped down and drew his black cutlass.

"A swordsman?" I heckled. "What is this, Smash Bro's Ultimate?"

"YOU'RE THE ONE THAT'S ABOUT TO GET SMASHED! AAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHH" He then charged at me and swung his sword at me repeatedly. All of which I either dodged or deflected using my inhibitor rings on my wrist.

"Enough of is." I shouted. "Chaos Control!" I shouted and tell teleported behind him and did a roundhouse kick that sent him flying towards the pillar he stood on earlier. "Chaos SPEAR!" I shouted and sent an arrow towards him. I then let out a blood curdling scream. I then noticed that he had his hands over his left eye.

"Hmph. What a joke. You used to be the most elusive, most elite bounty hunters in Mobius." I said approaching him and seeing him look and me, angerly but had some tears falling from his other eye. "Now look at you. Falling down before me without me even breaking a sweat. How pathetic!"

"Shadow," A voice spoke over my radio, "we've been given the order to we need you back here."

"I be right there." I said, I then looked at the one-eyed jackal.

"Go ahead." He spoke. "You've already killed my squad, so kill me now!"

I laughed, "Why should I. You've become too pathetic, too weak to be a threat. You're not even worth killing." I then started to walk away

"SO YOU'RE JUST GOING TO LEAVE ME HERE, WHILE MY FAMILY LIES DEAD IN THIS FOREST!?" He shouted. "YOU'RE A HYPOCRITE!"

"AND YOU ARE A WEAK CHILD!" I shouted. "But show your face around be again, and you will join your family." I then skated away.

"I'LL SHOW YOU SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG! MARK MY WORDS. I WILL GET MY REVENGE. I AM NOT WEAK SHADOW! DO YOU HEAR ME! I! AM! NOT! WEEAAAKKK! AAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"